Steven Chen
The residents of Taman Molek in Johor Bahru recently came together to participate in the Hungry Ghost Festival celebrations, which serves as a dinner celebration and also a charity event.
The event, an annual occasion organized by Qing Zhong Yuan Festival Supporters Association for the Taman Molek residents, sees auspicious items being auctioned, where the proceeds are later channeled to deserving schools and welfare organizations.
Last year’s Hungry Ghost Festival itself had managed to raise around RM 120,000, while the accumulated amount of money that it had managed to garner for charity over the years is believed to be around RM 900,000.
“We aim to achieve a 1Malaysia participation with this event. We hope other races can see what we are trying to do here and try to participate as well,” said Qing Zhong Yuan Festival Supporters Association chairperson Tan Sui Hin.
The Qing Zhong Yuan Festival Supporters Association has been organizing the Ghost Festival in Taman Molek in attempts to foster both celebrations and also to be able to contribute to the society at large.
Tan however admits that it remains a difficult task to bring together diversity of races to participate in a largely Chinese traditional festival.
“It is difficult because every family have their own favoritism, but nevertheless that is what we try to go for,” added Tan.
“We also find it difficult to recruit new members into our committee as the younger generation have a different mindset. About 90 per cent of the supporters are the same people who have been part of this for a long time.”
For one of the residents, Ken Lim, (below)the festival has become synonymous with charity.
“To my feelings, it is more about charity. It is also for the younger generation so that they will know what this festival is all about,” explains the 34-year-old.
The participants also took time to collectively sing the national anthem before proceeding with the event.
The Hungry Ghost Festival is a traditional Chinese festival where the dead are believed to rise again to pay a visit to the living.
It is used as an avenue for living descendants to pay homage to their deceased ancestors.
Video by Steven Chen & Rajandran Thaiman : Charity and Hungry Ghost festival in Taman Molek | 07:37
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